New York Liberty Star

FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

50 CENTS

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Caribbean News

GIRL SURVIVES AFTER 15 DAYS IN RUBBLE

A TEENAGE GIRL has been pulled out of the rubble in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a full 15 days after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the island nation.

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Caribbean Sports

GLEN JOHNSON SET FOR FIGHT ON ESPN

JAMAICA’S GLEN JOHNSON is set to fight Yusaf Mack, in February, in a light heavyweight world title eliminator.

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VOL. 10 ISSUE 187

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FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

CONTENTS

W E AT H E R

HAITI RESCUE

CENTS OF PRIDE

TODAY AM Snow High: 33° Low: 18° TOMORROW Sunny

High: 28° Low: 20°

DON’T SELL AIR JAMAICA

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Workers at Air Jamaica are asking the Prime Minister not to sell the national airline to overseas investors.

ALIVE AFTER 15 DAYS

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A teenage girl has been pulled out of the rubble in Port-au-Prince, a full 15 days after the earthquake struck.

SIZZLA WOES

NYU TEAM

EDITORIAL STAFF

GRENADIAN FACE-LIFT

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ARTIST HELD BY COPS

LENECIA HINES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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IVROL HINES MANAGING EDITOR

Grenada government officials say they Popular dancehall artist Miguel Collins are delighted with a free dental popularly known as “Sizzla Kalonji” program given by NYU professionals. remains in police custody on Thursday.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

DAENECIA HINES NATHANAEL HINES OFFICE ASSISTANTS

BUSINESS PROFILE

EARL “JR ROC” LYN VP OF OPERATIONS

AFUWI, ‘Not For Us’

The American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI) held its 13th annual gala on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan.

This year’s black tie event, the premier fundraising event in the United States for the University of the West Indies, recognized seven honorees for their distinguished work.

The honorees included four Caribbean Prime Ministers: Hon. David J.H. Thompson, Q.C., Barbados; Dr. the Hon. Dean O. Barrow, Belize; Hon. Tillman J. Thomas, Grenada; and Dr. The Hon. Patrick A.M. Manning, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago; as well as Director and Producer Spike Lee; Jamaica’s Triple Olympic and World Athletic Champion, Usain Bolt; and Air Jamaica.

Though the annual event receives consistent pre-event coverage in the pages of this newspaper, the AFUWI did not extend an invitation to New York Liberty Star to cover the event. Nonetheless, NYLS attempted to seek media accreditation which was not forthcoming. On the day of the event, Ivrol Hines, publisher of NYLS, personally called Ann Marie Grant, Executive Director of AFUWI, who told New York Liberty Star, “We are genuinely grateful for the coverage we have received from local media, especially, New York Liberty Star, however, I have had to refer all press requests to the Chairman of the Board, Michael Flanigan or Karl Rodney, who is responsible for media accreditation.” New York Liberty Star attempted to contact Rodney at his offices at Carib News, but he was unavailable for comment. Per instructions from the Executive Director, contact was made with Dwight Johnson of Dwight Johnson Designs, who stated that the press list was closed and referred all further questions to Rodney.

What is second-rate about this is, the disrespect shown to local media by organizations such as the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies. Local media, in particular the New York Liberty Star publishes their press releases and photos with caption to promote their events; however when it’s time for coverage, local media are treated like distant relatives. New York Liberty Star boasts a circulation of over 20 thousand within the five boroughs and has an online presence as well. No other Caribbean-owned newspaper in New York can compare. So it is quite disappointing to know that Caribbean Nationals are being honored at an event that was publicized by this newspaper, but this newspaper was not able to attend the event and report back to our community.

The Board of AFUWI should be ashamed of their conduct towards New York Liberty Star and other local media who provide them with coverage but are not welcomed at their event. We can only hope that AFUWI will work towards improving its handling of the local media in the future.

PAUL HAUGHTON COMMUNITY RELATIONS LIASON SHARON GORDON ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR CARLYLE McKETTY COLUMNIST

TONY CRAIG DAVID LESTER ACCOUNTS MANAGER

NEW YORK CITY CORPORATE OFFICE

Jaffet Burke, President and CEO of Tony’s Custom Tailoring

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Tailor Denroy “Stumpy” Reid

New York Liberty Star welcomes letters from readers and press releases. We reserve the right to edit all materials, in keeping with publication standards.

To submit an article, send email to: nylibertystar@yahoo.com.

Hours of operation: M-F, 9 a.m. 5 p.m. All material due by 12 p.m., two days prior to publication. The New York Liberty Star is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Copyright New York Liberty Star 2001. All rightsreserved / Ivrol D. Hines.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

CARIBBEAN AIRLINES TO BUY AIR JAMAICA

Cents Of Pride

Workers Urge PM Not To Sell National Airline

By Kathy Barrett

Workers at the financially strapped, Air Jamaica, have written Prime Minister Bruce Golding urging him not to sell the national airline to overseas investors.

In a two-page letter sent to Golding late on Monday, the staff of Air Jamaica Holdings Limited urged the government to give them an opportunity to manage the airline, highlighting the value of the “Lovebird” as a symbol of national pride and resilience.

“It is because of the passion, not merely to save jobs but one which stretches to the bloodline of our founding fathers that we dare to stand...hence we say let the divestment take place, but let JALPA, (Jamaica Airline Pilots Association) the representation of Air Jamaica’s staff and the Jamaican people take the reins.

“Now is not the time for Jamaica to sell her birthright for a pound of flesh with or without blood.

Now is a time for use as a people to arise, invest in ourselves, eat what we grow and own what we fly”.

On Monday, the powerful National Workers Union (NWU) said it is against the sale of the national airline to the Trinidad-based Caribbean Airlines (CAL).

NWU president, Vincent Morrison, said that his union believes the airline should be kept in local hands and that the 1,900 workers are more than equipped to run the airline that racked up huge losses over the last four decades.

“I can’t believe that the government would spend J$28 billion (US316.9 million) to give away one of our best assets,” Morrison said.

Last week, the airline’s chief executive officer, Bruce Nobles, told workers that the deal with CAL may be signed soon.

In a memorandum to staff, he said bidders for Air Jamaica were narrowed down to two finalists one being Indigo Partners, the owners of several airlines, including Spirit airlines; and the other, Caribbean Airlines, owned by government of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Bruce Golding administration has not confirmed that a deal has been reached with CA, but the Prime Minister has said that the government hopes to conclude an agreement soon.

Jamaica is seeking to borrow US$1.25 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the agency’s Standby Arrangement for balance of payment support, and among the conditions is the divestment of loss-resulting entities like Air Jamaica, for budget relief.

I n their letter to Golding, the workers reminded the government that when it announced the debt refinancing initiative it called for cooperation and now would be an opportune time to give them a chance to keep Air Jamaica “Jamaican owned and operated”.

“While fully understanding that this has been and will continue to be a tremendous challenge Jamaican Prime Minister in the months to Hon. Bruce Golding come, we believe that the situation demands our collective fortitude and we stand committed to pledge our support.”

President General of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), Kavan Gayle, said the workers have intensified their campaign to take over the airline by launching engaging their public in their strategy.

Gayle is hoping Prime Minister Golding will look favorably on the workers’ request.

Golding said, Wednesday, that the business proposal would be thoroughly reviewed if the current negotiations with Caribbean Airlines of Trinidad fall through. He was speaking on his monthly radio talk show program, Jamaica House Live on Wednesday night.

"If the negotiations with Caribbean Airlines do not lead to an agreement, we would be in a position to look at the business plan that has been submitted by the Jamaica airline Pilots association. We have gathered enough experience in this divestment exercise that has been going on for over a year, looking at all the due diligence that has been done, the analysis of the financial evaluation and so on. We know what to look for to ensure that it is a proposal that can be sustained. Once we dispose of Air Jamaica, there is no possibility to come back to the government. The budget cannot take it."

Wednesday night's edition of Jamaica House Live was the first for 2010. The Prime Minister spoke with Jamaicans at home and abroad who participated in discussions ranging from concerns about public utilities, the public sector wage bill, taxation system, crime and justice, mortgage, responsibility of landowners and concerns of overseas students.

FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

Swimming In Difficult Waters CDB Prez Says Caribbean Economies Will Rebound

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) Compton Bourne on Thursday expressed confidence that regional countries will overcome the economic challenges that they will face in the year ahead.

“I don’t agree that we are drowning. I think that we are swimming in difficult waters…we have not simply stayed afloat, we’re managing as well as can be expected. I don’t think that the regional economies are in a great danger of not surviving,” Bourne told journalists during a review of the CDB’s activities for the past year.

Most Caribbean countries experienced falloffs in revenue from tourism, construction, foreign direct investment and remittances. As a consequence, governments have taken various steps to prevent further deterioration of their economies, which the senior economist said is important to how the economies perform in the coming months.

“I think that a lot depends on the extent to which the various stimulus packages they (regional governments) have put in place take hold.

“But even more so…a lot depends on the extent to which there are financial resources to allow governments to restart or maintain their capital investment programmes and at the same time to expand their social safety nets so that the hardships that have been experienced at the personal level in some countries will not become more widespread,” he told the gathering at the Bank’s Wildey headquarters on the outskirts of the Barbados capital.

Bourne said the CDB was anticipating an increased reliance on its resources by Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) due to the challenges they are likely to face in drumming up the necessary finances needed to fund social and economic programmes.

“We envisage on the basis of detailed, country-by-country projections that the Bank’s BMCs will need to step up investment substan-

Dr. Compton Bourne, CDB President tially over the next five years to restore economic growth and prevent the erosion of living standards.

“Given reduced access to international capital markets, they will turn increasingly to their regional bank, CDB, for financial assistance. We have to ensure that the Bank has the financial capacity to respond positively,” he added.

Looking back at the performance of the Bank’s BMCs, Bourne said they “struggled in 2009 to maintain economic momentum in the face of three major problems… “…continuing deterioration of the global economy which adversely affected demand and prices of internationally traded goods and services; further erosion of preferential market access for commodity exports; and regional financial difficulties ensuing from the collapse of a major financial conglomerate.”

CDB disbursed close to US$209 million to BMCs last year, with the less developed countries, including Haiti, receiving US$111 million and US$83 million being provided to the more developed countries. The additional US$14 million was disbursed to regional entities.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

Prime Minister Denzil Douglas BASSETERRE, St Kitts -For the fourth time in his decorated political career, Dr. Denzil Douglas was sworn in as the prime minister of St Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday, calling for healing in the twin-island federation after a bruising general election campaign.

“The campaign has been hard, it has been very trying and testing, it has been bruising…I ask that the healing process begin today. We must recognise each of us as our brother ’s keeper,” said Douglas after taking the Oath of Allegiance, the Oath of Office.

He also received his Instruments of Appointment during a brief ceremony at Government House presided by High Court judge Justice Francis Belle.

Douglas, 57, led his St KittsNevis Labour Party (SKNLP) to a fourth consecutive five-year term by winning six of the 11 seats in the National Assembly at Monday’s poll. The People’s Action Movement won the two other seats on St Kitts, while the Concerned Citizens Movement (two) and the Nevis Reformation (one) split the seats on Nevis.

“Let us make sure that we can use this victory in consolidating our efforts to realise the programmes and policies of the party that they would embrace every, single person,” the Prime Minister told the ceremony that was attended by other victorious SKNLP candidates.

He called on the people of the federation, regardless of political affiliation, to accept the outcome of the election and work in the national interest.

“I ask that God give me the wisdom, give me the strength and health to pursue the task that lies ahead. I say to the people of this country: I cannot do it alone, my team cannot do it alone, it takes the support of all of us.”

Douglas, who has been Prime Minister since 1995, singled out public servants, calling on them to raise their level of service to the public.

“I want to give a special challenge to our public servants to ensure that we continue to work hard, serve the interests of our citizens. There have been several complaints of complacency.

“It is clear that the Public Sector Reform exercise needs to be pursued much more vigorously under new leadership. We want to insist that we discharge our duties fearlessly. Let us make sure that we serve every person in this country,” he added.

Kenyan authorities said Jamaican Muslim preacher Abdullah Al-Faisal was on an international terrorist watch-list.

A Haitian girl is rescued by a French team after being in the rubble for more than two weeks in Port-au-Prince Wednesday. The teenage girl, 16, was rescued alive from under a house in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday, 15 days after Haiti's devastating earthquake, French and Haitian rescuers said.

Alive After 15 Days A teenage girl has been pulled out of the rubble in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, a full 15 days after the earthquake struck, rescuers say.

They said she was happy and shocked despite being severely dehydrated and having a leg injury.

Her rescue comes five days after the Haitian government officially ended the search and rescue operation. Meanwhile President Rene Preval has said parliamentary elections due to be held on 28 February will be postponed.

As many as 200,000 people died in the 12 January earthquake. At least 130 people have been pulled alive from the rubble.

A rescue worker described the discovery of the teenager, two weeks

Haiti PM Preval To Quit after the quake destroyed the city, as a “miracle”.

“I don’t know how she happened to resist that long,” said rescue worker JP Malaganne.

The 16-year-old girl, who Reuters named as Darline, was found in the rubble of the College St Gerard which one of her relatives said she had just started attending.

Neighbors had been searching in the rubble of their homes in the central Carrefour-Feuilles district when they heard a voice and called rescue teams to help.

After being removed from the wreckage of the school, the girl was immediately covered with a thermal blanket and given oxygen. She has now been taken to hospital.

“She just said ‘Thank you,’ she’s very weak, which suggests that she’s been there for 15 days,” said Samuel Bernes, the head of the rescue team

that discovered her.

He described her location within the rubble as “in a pocket, surrounded by concrete”.

The BBC’s Karen Allen, in the Haitian capital, said that rescue workers had told her the teenager was trapped in the bathroom when the quake struck and was able to survive by drinking water from a bath.

On Tuesday, rescuers discovered a 31-year-old man who had been trapped for 12 days after being caught in one of the numerous aftershocks that rocked the city after the earthquake.

In announcing the election delay, President Preval said he would not seek to remain in office beyond the end of his term in February 2011.

He added: “I don’t think the time is right to hold elections now given the conditions in which people are living.”

89 Year-Old Botanist Guilty Of Plot To Murder His Wife KINGSTON, Jamaica - World renowned botanist Dr. George Proctor is due to return to court on Tuesday for sentencing after he was found guilty of plotting to kill his wife.

The former University of the West Indies (UWI) lecturer and his driver, Glenmore Fillington, were found guilty by a seven-member mixed jury of conspiring to murder Leila Campbell-Proctor, 69, in 2006.

Proctor and Fillington had both denied the allegations.

The jury took more than four hours to reach a verdict against the 89 year-old botanist, who was arrested in April 2006 at the Norman Manley International Airport prior to boarding a flight to the United States.

The prosecution alleged that Proctor paid J$90,000 (US$1,000) to the State’s main witness, Walden Simpson, to kill his wife and three other occupants of his home in a upscale community in the corporate area.

The prosecution had urged the jury to discount the fact that the main witness was a career criminal with more than 60 convictions, dating back to 1964.

The convicted men will re-appear in court on Tuesday when they will be sentenced on the four counts of conspiracy to murder.

Dr. George Proctor, the world’s leading authority on Jamaican flora, will be sentenced on Tuesday.

Kenya Pays $500,000 To Deport Jamaican

Kenya paid more than $500,000 to deport controversial Jamaican Muslim preacher Abdullah al-Faisal, according to Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang.

He was finally expelled last week on a chartered jet, after Kenya had spent three weeks trying to deport him.

Meanwhile, two immigration officials have been suspended for letting Faisal into the country in the first place.

The cleric spent four years in a UK jail for soliciting the murder of Jews and Hindus.

South African link Kenya’s attempts to deport him were blocked when several countries refused to grant him a transit visa and he was stranded in Nairobi.

He was held in detention while the authorities organised his expulsion - provoking rallies by Muslim groups which ended in clashes with police.

“It is the responsibility of the state to ship back the likes of al-Faisal and this was necessitated by the fact that some deportees turn violent,” the Daily Nation quoted Mr Kajwang as saying.

“This makes commercial airlines uncomfortable with such travellers.”

He said the cost of the deportation was “in excess of 40 million shillings ($523,000; £322,000)”.

Earlier reports claimed a South African security firm had been drafted in to arrange the deportation.

Mr Kajwang also confirmed that two officials who had allowed Faisal into the country - reportedly via a land border with Tanzania - had been suspended pending an investigation.

“Common sense could have led them to ask why a Jamaican was entering Kenya by road, not sea or air,” he said.

Faisal was deported from the UK in 2007 after spending four years in jail.

The British government said one of the 7 July London suicide bombers, Germaine Lindsay, was heavily influenced by the cleric.

Shoe-bomber Richard Reid is said to have visited mosques where he preached in the UK.

FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

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CRIME&PUNNISHMENT Former PM To Answer To Corruption Charges

National Security Minister Guy Mayers

Too Much Drugs To Handle CASTRIES, St. Lucia - National Security Minister Guy Mayers on Wednesday called for further assistance for Caribbean countries to combat the transhipment of illicit drugs through the region.

Mayers noted that St. Lucia “is a trans-shipment point for the drugs” that are “destined for countries way beyond our shores.”

“That is where the demand for it is and I believe the countries where the demand is have a responsibility to assist us as small island states with meagre resources to help stem the flow of the drugs to those markets,” Mayers said at the groundbreaking ceremony for a US$1.6 million project for the construction of two piers at the marine police bases in Castries and Vieux Fort, south of here.

He said that is why partnerships with the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and European countries are so important.

“They need to assist us with the resources that we require to help us stop the drugs from reaching their shores.

We cannot do it on our own,” Mayers said, noting that he hoped Washington would provide assistance in the design of social, preventative and remedial programmes for persons involved in or affected by the drug trade.

The United States has pledged US$45 million to assist Caribbean islands combat the drug trade as Washington intensifies its campaign against the illegal drugs trade in the western hemisphere.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – A city magistrate has adjourned to February 5, the preliminary inquiry into corruption charges against former prime minister Basdeo Panday, his wife, Oma and two other persons, including former government minister Carlos John.

The four, including businessman, Ish Galbaransingh, appeared before Magistrate Ejenny Espinet on Thursday for the continuation of the inquiry that has been ongoing for the past two years.

John and Galbaransingh are accused of corruptly giving the sum of 25,000 pounds sterling (US$40, 230) to Basdeo Panday, “as an inducement or reward for …favouring” Galbaransingh’s construction company in the development of the Piarco International Airport in December 1998.

The Panday’s are accused of receiving the money from John and Galbaransingh “as an inducement or reward” in relation to the airport project.

Panday has filed for judicial review, claiming apparent bias on the part of the magistrate, on the grounds that she is a member of a foundation started by a former member of the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and that her father also served in a previous PNM government.

Last November, Justice Vasheist Kokaram threw out of the judicial review case which is now the subject of an appeal. An application for a stay of the preliminary inquiry will be heard on February 3.

As a result, the magistrate adjourned the matter to February 5.

But during Thursday’s brief court appearance, the issue of Oma Panday’s bail was

Antigua & Barbuda 610 Fifth Avenue, Suite 311 New York, N.Y. 10020 Tel. 212-541-4117 Bahamas 231 East 46th Street New York, NY 10017 (212) 421-6420 Barbados 800 Second Avenue, 2nd Fl. New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel. 212-867-8435

Former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday raised by her daughter, attorney Nicola Panday.

She asked the court to revoke the TT$750,000 (US$125,000) bail guaranteed by Jack Warner, Vice-President of the International Football Federation (FIFA)) and that a new bailor substituted.

The move by the Panday’s follow statements made during the internal elections of the main opposition United National Congress (UNC) earlier this month when Warner, responding to allegations of dishonesty made by the former prime minister, said the “honourable thing to do (is) to get another bailor for your wife.

“I am tired of Basdeo Panday’s nonsense.

It is over four years now I am holding … bail for his wife. If I am as bad as he says, and I’m a conman and a monkey and so on, Mr Panday, take your bail. Take your bail, Mr Panday. You can’t stay on the riverbank and talk the river bad,” said Warner, who was elected chairman of the opposition party.

Reporters who were in the court on Thursday, said that Mrs. Panday was not taken into custody by the police until the new bail was granted.

“She calmly walked out of the courtroom and went to the Clerk of the Peace on her own.

Within an hour, she was out again, having secured the new bailor. Asked who was the new bailor, Panday said that was a private matter,” The Trinidad Guardian newspaper reported.

Teenagers Among A Dozen Trini Murder Suspects PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - A dozen suspects, including four teenagers, have been charged with murder for the killing of a man during a robbery spree last week.

The victim, Amiel George, 24, was chopped to death last Tuesday. He was chopped multiple times across the neck, head, face and other parts of his body by a gang of men and died on the spot.

The alleged attackers were apprehended

by members of a joint army and police patrol on Wednesday in Port of Spain.

Among those charged for the heinous crime are a 15 year old, two 18-year-olds and a 19 year-old. The others range in age from 21 to 30. The 12 suspects also face robbery charges. They are accused of robbing three people of their mobile phones, money, jewellery and other miscellaneous items.

They return to court on February 5.

Guyanese Woman Busted With 54 Pounds Of Cocaine At JFK NEW YORK, NY - United States Customs and Border Protection officials say they have busted a Guyanese woman with 54 pounds of cocaine on arriving at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on a flight from her native Guyana.

Officials said the drug that Dorothy Sears was carrying in her luggage on Tuesday night had a street value of US$1.7 million.

Authorities also said they found a bag of marijuana hidden in Sears’ bra during a “pat down search.”

Caribbean Consulates In New York

“Security agents tagged Sears for the search after noting inconsistencies in her story about why she was travelling to Brooklyn on January 12,” the Daily News reported.

“After her dope-filled bra was discovered, agents dispatched a K-9 unit to analyse a suitcase she had checked, which was in another part of the airport,” the paper said. “The coke was tightly wrapped into bricklike packages.”

Customs and Border Protection officials said Sears’ arrest has resulted in “an ongoing investigation” of her unidentified supplier.

Belize 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400G New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel. 212-599-0233 Cayman Islands (Dept. of Tourism) 420 Lexington Ave New York, NY 10170 (212) 682-5582 Dominican Republic 1500 Broadway, Suite 410 New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel. 212-768-2480 Grenada 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400K New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel. 212-599-0301 Guyana 866 UN Plaza, Room 304 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel. 212-527-3215 Haiti 271 Madison Avenue, 17th Floor New York, N.Y. 10016 Tel. 212-697-9767 Honduras 80 Wall Street, Suite 415, 4th Floor New York, N.Y. 10005 Tel. 212-269-3611 Jamaica 767 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10017-2993 Tel. 212-935-9000 Martinique 444 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel. 212-838-6887 Montserrat 845 Third Avenue New York, N.Y. 10022 Tel. 212-745-0200 Panama 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, N.Y. 10036 Tel. 212-840-2450 Puerto Rico 666 Fifth Avenue, 15th Floor New York, N.Y. 10103 Tel. 800-223-6530 St. Kitts & Nevis 414 East 75th Street, 5th Floor New York, N.Y. 10021 Tel. 212-535-1234 St. Lucia 800 Second Avenue, 9th Floor New York, N.Y. 10007 Tel. 212-697-9360 St. Maarten 675 Third Avenue, Ste. 1807 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel. 800-786-2278 St. Vincent & The Grenadines 801 Second Avenue, 21st Floor New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel. 212-687-4981 Trinidad & Tobago 733 Third Avenue, Suite 1716 New York, N.Y. 10017 Tel. 212-682-7272

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

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Haiti Earthquake May Have Exposed Gas Reserves, Aiding Economy

By Jim Polson NEW YORK, NY — The earthquake that killed more than 150,000 people in Haiti this month may have left clues to petroleum reservoirs that could aid economic recovery in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest nation, a geologist said.

The January 12 earthquake was on a fault line that passes near potential gas reserves, said Stephen Pierce, a geologist who worked in the region for 30 years for companies including the former Mobil Corp. The quake may have cracked rock formations along the fault, allowing gas or oil to temporarily seep toward the surface, he said Monday in a telephone interview.

“A geologist, callous as it may seem, tracing that fault zone from Port-au-Prince to the border looking for gas and oil seeps, may find a structure that hasn’t been drilled,” said Pierce, exploration manager at Zion Oil & Gas Inc., a Dallas- based company that’s drilling in Israel. “A discovery could significantly improve the country’s economy and stimulate further exploration.”

Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive met Monday in Montreal with diplomats, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, to discuss redevelopment initiatives. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said wind power may play a role in rebuilding the Caribbean nation, where forests have been denuded for lack of fuel, the Canadian Press reported.

“Haiti, from the standpoint of oil and gas exploration, is a lot less developed than the Dominican Republic,” Pierce said. “One could do a lot more work there.”

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. It may have 3 million barrels of oil in a shallow offshore formation that’s probably also shared by Haiti, Pierce said.

“One of the main reasons for the dearth of information on reserves in Haiti is that the Dominican Republic has numerous surface-hydrocarbon seeps while Haiti had very, very few,” he said.

Abraham Lincoln’s consul to the Dominican

Republic reported oil seeps there in 1862. Neither nation produces oil or gas. As much as 1 trillion cubic feet of gas may be trapped in a border formation near the earthquake fault, Pierce said.

Pierce hasn’t worked in Hispaniola since joining Zion in February 2005. He said he’s unaware of any petroleum geologists conducting fieldwork in Haiti. There has been exploration of Ocoa Bay, the largest potential oil deposit in the Dominican Republic, he said.

“All basins cross the border,” said Paul Mann, co-author of a 1991 paper in the Journal of Petroleum Geology on Hispaniola’s petroleum potential.

The paper concluded that “existing seismic data indentify undrilled prospects.”

More than 600,000 people are without shelter in the Port- au-Prince area, the United Nations said Jan. 22. The 7.0- magnitude quake destroyed about one-third of the buildings in Port-au-Prince. It also knocked out the capital’s seaport and water and sewage systems.

“Relief and recovery for the survivors is the priority now,” Mark Fried, a spokesman for British charity Oxfam, said in a statement. “Hundreds of thousands who lost everything but their lives” need water, shelter and toilets to stop the spread of disease, he said.

Haiti will need “massive support” for a “colossal” reconstruction from the earthquake, Bellerive said at the meeting yesterday in Montreal.

The Greater Antilles, which includes Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and their offshore waters, probably hold at least 142 million barrels of oil and 159 billion cubic feet of gas, according to a 2000 report by the US Geological Survey. Undiscovered amounts may be as high as 941 million barrels of oil and 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to the report.

Among nations in the northern Caribbean, Cuba and Jamaica have awarded offshore leases for oil and gas development. Trinidad and Tobago, South American islands off the coast of Venezuela, account for most Caribbean oil production, according to the US Energy Department.

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SPIRITUAL READING Man from Jamaica Woman from Haiti

“Saint Philomena help us all.”

“Saint Joseph keep us steady in our doings.”

Read this prayer before going to bed.

One Remedy To Remove Jinx And Bad Luck & Bring You Good Luck

1 Elegua candle, 7 green lime, 1 cananga water, 1 ball blue, 7 stalks scallion, 1 chinese wash, 1 hay sup wash, 1 go away evil wash, 1 btl. verbena wash, 1 btl. white lavener wash, 1 dragon blood wash, 1 hand full rock salt, 1 btl. protection oil, 1 btl. cinamon oil, 1 btl. dragon blood oil.

“Saint Peter open all doors for us all.”

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This prayer is good for keeping away demons.

This is a good pocket piece as well.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen 917-216-1507

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Selling Your Home?

Easy Improvements To Attract Buyers

(ARA) - Real estate pros often coach their clients on the value of making “curb appeal” improvements to help sell their homes. Outside painting and minor repairs signal that the house has been well cared for.

That’s a great marketing tactic, but an even better advantage is offering multiple bathrooms. So if you’re planning to put your house on the market and want to make it stand out, consider going a step further and adding a new bathroom.

A spare bath is a great investment.

Second only to kitchen remodels for recouping resale value, bathroom additions boast a 63.5 percent rate of return, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2008-2009 “Cost vs. Value” report. And when an up-flushing, macerating toilet - or “up toilet” - is used for the project, its comparatively low installed-cost makes a bathroom addition very affordable.

An up toilet can be installed virtually anywhere in the home. That’s because this type of plumbing system operates above the floor, using small-diameter piping to pump waste and water up, not down, and into sewer or septic lines. As a consequence, there is no need for the mess and heavy expense of digging through flooring, especially the concrete variety in the basement.

“An up toilet is a super alternative, and it can go where traditional plumbing cannot,” says Mike Coletto, an independent plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical contractor in Illinois with extensive experience installing and servicing up toilets manufactured by SFA Saniflo.

Macerating technology is ideal for adding a bath in tight spots, Coletto notes, such as under a stairway or inside a closet. The simple installation process drives the cost savings. “With no digging,” says Coletto, “I can install a Saniflo system in about half a day.”

Best of all, this type of home renovation reaps instant rewards, improving the quality of life now and paying dividends later.

So, if you are thinking of selling your home, now is the time to plan your new bath installation. Last year’s federal, first-time homebuyer

tax credit fueled an impressive increase in the home-resale market. The incentive helped drive year-over-year gains for nine straight months in 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Thanks to an extension and expansion of the program for those signing before April 30, many expect a similar increase in existing home sales during early 2010.

In addition to readying your home with a bathroom addition, here is a checklist of other ways you can easily increase the curb appeal of your home: * Remove broken toys and tools that may have collected in the yard. * Pick up debris and store trash cans out of view. * Install new bulbs in porch and security lighting. * Check bricks and pavers for cracks: Replace them and reset any that are loose. * Patch worn or cracked asphalt or cement in the driveway. * Edge grass and remove weeds that may have grown over walkways. * Repaint the front door and freshen up chipped and peeling paint trim. * Clean and polish the brass on doorknobs and lock housings, or replace them if severely tarnished. * Replace any broken glass panes. * Clean out gutters and downspouts. * If you have a post mailbox, make sure it is upright and sturdy.

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President Barack Obama gestures as he speaks during a visit to the University of Tampa, in Tampa, Fla. , Thursday.

Obama Includes Huge Student Aid Investments In Stimulus Bill (ARA) - The Obama administration has set forth an extensive bill designed to get the economy out of the recession and moving again.

This $70 billion bill has a large portion directed towards students and investing in their education.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. David Obey (D-Wisc.) said, “Our short-term task is to try to prevent the loss of millions of jobs and get our economy moving.

The long-term task is to make the needed investments that restore the ability of average middle income families to increase their income and build a decent future for their children.”

The financing for continuing education will help people get the skills and knowledge they need to get jobs in the future, thus boosting the economy.

According to the summary of the bill released by the House Appropriations Committee, the bill would provide the following additional funding for student aid. * Pell Grants: $15.6 billion to increase the maximum Pell Grant by $500, from $4,850 to $5,350 for the 2009-2010 academic year. * Federal Work-Study: $490 million to support undergraduate and graduate students who work. * Student Loan Limit Increase: Increased limits on unsubsidized Stafford loans by $2,000. * Student Aid Administration: $50 million to help the Department of Education administer surging student aid programs while navigating the changing student loan environment.

The bill also provides funding that will benefit higher education institutions, including: * $20 billion for school renovation and modernization, including technology upgrades and energy efficiency improvements: $14 billion for K-12 and $6 billion for higher education. * $1 billion for 21st century classrooms,

including computer and science labs and teacher technology training. * $79 billion in state fiscal relief to prevent cutbacks to key services, including $39 billion to local school districts and public colleges and universities distributed through existing state and federal formulas, $15 billion to states as bonus grants as a reward for meeting key performance measures, and $25 billion to states for other high-priority needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education.

“These kinds of incentives from the government don’t come along very often,” says Janet Hill, financial aid and education counselor at ClassesAndCareers.com, a free online education service. “If people have been thinking of going back to school, now would be the time to do it. If they are hurting financially, they can easily get the money they need to get a degree.”

These benefits are set to expire after the 2010-2011 school year and are available for campus and online colleges.

Thanks to a growing number of online education options, degree-seekers can take advantage of President Obama’s stimulus bill without leaving their jobs. Sites like ClassesAndCareers.com have helped nearly 500,000 degree-seekers get their stimulus money and enroll in online universities.

“We help people learn how to take advantage of this bill,” says Hill. “All they have to do is visit our form and fill it out. We guide them through the rest.”

Anyone interested in going back to school can visit www.OnlineSchools247.com to see if they qualify. They simply fill out the form and an education advisor will help them get their share of the stimulus money and find the best degree program for them. Or, call directly at (888) 361-6349.

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NYU Team Gives Grenada Face Lift ST GEORGE’S, Grenada — Members of the Grenada government say they are delighted with a program of dental care currently being undertaken nationwide by a group of professionals from the United States.

The 46-member team from New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry has been administering free care, such as extractions, fillings, root canals and reconstructive surgery to hundreds of Grenadians – mostly children and the elderly.

“This is wonderful program for which all of us in government are extremely grateful for,” Foreign Affairs Minister Peter David said Tuesday during a visit to the Tivoli Medical Clinic, where the NYU professionals were attending. “As a government, we would like to thank NYU and all the sponsors of the program, as well as members of Concerned Grenadians in New York.”

David was accompanied on the visit to Tivoli by Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Officer, Senator Arley Gill, and Grenada’s Consul General in New York, Derrick James.

The NYU delegation – including Project Manager, Grenada-born Gracelyn Bubb-Harris – has also met with Health Minister Senator Ann Peters, and Minister of Education and Human Resource Development, Senator Franka Alexis-Bernardine.

Both Senators Peters and Bernardine have expressed their appreciation to NYU for embarking on the project, which complements the concept of primary health care that has been promoted by Prime Minister

Members of NYU’s dental team providing dental care.

Hon. Tillman Thomas’ government which was elected to office in July 2008.

The program, whose major sponsor is Henry Schein Cares Global Dental Outreach Project, also received financial backing from PETNA, a US-based foundation operated by Grenada-born Nicholas Earle Brathwaite and his wife, Janice.

Apart from treating patients, the dental practitioners are also conducting an assessment of oral health among Grenadian students.

Project Director Dr. Stuart Hirsch, and Survey Director Dr. Mark Wolff, told journalists on Tuesday that

initial assessment indicated a high level of cavity and tooth decay among children.

The NYU dental team is encouraging schools to implement a daily tooth-brushing program in their classrooms.

The itinerary for the visiting team also includes providing tips to parents and patients on the importance of proper oral hygiene, offering dental education advice to local dentists, and conducting a lecture for aspiring dental students and allied professionals.

This is the first phase of an NYU dental program that is expected to run annually for four years.

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EAT HEALTHY

Fresh vegetables are chopped in the kitchen of Revolution Foods restaurant.

Low-Carb Diet Best For Lowering Blood Pressure

By Anne Harding Anne Harding NEW YORK, NY – People with high blood pressure who want to drop some pounds may want to choose a low-carb diet, a new study shows.

In the study, overweight or obese individuals who went on a low-carb diet lost about the same amount of weight as those who cut down on their fat intake and took the weight-loss aid orlistat (sold as Xenical or Alli).

However, the low-carb diet produced more favorable effects on blood pressure.

Most studies of weight loss methods have enrolled overweight or obese volunteers who were healthy, aside from weighing too much. The current study, in contrast, enrolled “real patients” with common conditions like diabetes and heart disease, William S. Yancy Jr. of the VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, told Reuters Health. People with these health issues are often excluded from weight loss studies, Yancy said.

He and his colleagues assigned 146 patients to either receive instruction on eating a low-carbohydrate diet, and to start out by eating fewer than 20 grams of carbohydrate daily, or to take 120 mg of orlistat three times a day and receive instructions on eating a lower calorie, lower-fat diet. All of the study participants received diet instructions at group meetings, which were every two weeks for the first six months of the study, and monthly thereafter.

After 48 weeks, the low-carb group had lost about 9.5 percent of their body weight, compared to 8.5 percent for the orlistat group, which wasn’t a significant difference. There also were similar improvements in cholesterol levels between the two groups. But the low carb diet did offer an advantage in terms of blood pressure reduction.

The low-carb group showed about a 6 percent drop in their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) and a 4.5 point drop in their diastolic pressure (the lower number). In contrast, the orlistat group did not see a drop in blood pressure; the corresponding changes for the orlistat group were 1.5 (systolic) and 0.4 (diastolic).

The two “fairly powerful weight loss treatments were equally effective, and one of them was more effective for lowering high blood pressure,” Yancy said.

Orlistat works by blocking the body’s absorption of fat from food so people who use the drug need to cut down on their fat intake or risk unpleasant side effects like gas and even incontinence.

Patients using orlistat in the current study were more likely to report gas, bowel incontinence, and diarrhea than those in the low-carb group. However, only one person stopped taking the drug due to these side effects.

“Orlistat can work quite well if it’s used correctly,” Yancy said.

The group meetings for diet advice were a key element of success, Yancy added, with those who came to 80 percent or more of these visits losing an average of 14 percent to 15 percent of their body weight.

“I don’t think that too many insurance (policies) would cover this,” he said, “but I think it’s something that needs to happen.”

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WHAT’S PLAYING AT THE MOVIES?

TAMPA, Florida - The lawyer representing Jamaican dancehall artiste, Buju Banton, is arguing that the United States government entrapped his client in a drug deal.

The singer, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, is being detained in a Florida jail after he was arrested late last year on charges of conspiring to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting his co-defendants in possessing a firearm during the course of the cocaine distribution.

The Grammy nominated entertainer pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bail.

Buju’s Lawyer Wants Informer’s Name

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In court documents filed on Tuesday, attorney David Markus claimed that the US government used a paid informant to convince his client to buy cocaine and is pushing to have the informant’s identity revealed.

Markus claimed that the informant first met Buju Banton on a flight from Madrid, Spain, to Miami, Florida, on July 26, 2009 by “sheer chance, bad luck or other reason to which the defendant is unaware”.

According to the lawyer, the police informant spent the next several months trying to convince the Jamaican singer to purchase cocaine.

The lawyer filed a motion for an order “compelling the government to disclose the identity and location of the confidential informant who was an eyewitness and participant in the events, which are the subject of both counts of the indictment”.

He argued that the informant “was clearly an active participant in the entire chain of events” and that “the facts and circumstances of the confidential sources’ contacts with Mr Myrie display a deliberate effort by a paid informant to ensnare a perfect stranger…into committing a crime…”

According to the document filed in the court: “The informant was clearly an active participant in the entire chain of events”.

Banton, whose latest album “Rasta Got Soul” is nominated for a Grammy, is due to return to court in March

Buju Banton

Nas Talks Roots, Reggae It’s been 16 years since rapper Nas released his critically acclaimed debut, Illmatic.

If you ask, he’ll say a lot has changed in the rap game since then. But the 36-year-old says he doesn’t write songs to please the masses.

“To me, rap is about going against the grain,” he says. “It was invented by people who were left out.”

On his new album, Distant Relatives (a collaboration with Bob Marley’s son Damian), Nas gets in touch with his reggae side.

“Reggae and hip-hop are cousins,” he says.

“Go back before the ’90s and think about the music that was playing on the ghetto blasters and you’ll hear it.”

Nas says the name of the album is an ode to humanity. “The whole world is like family, split up all over the place.”

He’s a big believer in the human spirit. Part of the proceeds from Distant Relatives will go to charity projects in Africa.

TOOTH FAIRY "The Tooth Fairy," also known as Derek Thompson, is a hard-charging hockey player whose nickname comes from his habit of separating opposing players from their bicuspids. When Derek discourages a youngster's dreams, he's sentenced to one week's hard labor as a real tooth fairy, complete with the requisite tutu, wings and magic wand. At first, Derek "can't handle the tooth" bumbling and stumbling as he tries to furtively wing his way through strangers' homes-doing what tooth fairies do. But as Derek slowly adapts to his new position, he begins to rediscover his own forgotten dreams.

“It’s overdue, and I want to help build whatever we can there.”

Nas, who was featured on Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock, is a big fan of Jamaican music.

“I’ve worked with a lot of reggae artists, like Sizzla and Supercat, but not until Jamrock did I get a chance to work with Damian,” he says. “ I love his music and I’m a big fan of Bob Marley and the whole family.”

So will any of the Marley sons make an appearance at the rapper’s show next week at the Arsht Center?

Nas wouldn’t say.

“We haven’t worked out any tour dates yet,” he says. “But I’m sure Damian and I will do something soon.”

Sizzla Arrested For Shooting

Sizzla

Popular dancehall artiste Miguel Collins popularly known as “Sizzla Kalonji” remains in police custody on Thursday.

He was picked up on Wednesday night by the August Town Police after they received reports that men were firing guns in the August Town area.

A senior officer at the Half-Way-Tree Police Station said the artiste’s hands have been swabbed and samples sent to the government laboratory to determine whether he had fired a weapon.

The senior cop declined to give any more details on the incident.

Shouting Loud & Doing Nothing?

Less than a week after the horrific earthquake in Haiti came news of a Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship making its scheduled docking at a private beach in Haiti, just 60 miles from the devastation, so vacationers could frolic at a barbecue. Although the ship delivered 40 pallets of relief supplies and pledged to donate all proceeds from the visit to the relief effort, the decision to go ahead with the visit had passengers divided. “I just can’t see myself sunning on the beach, playing in the water, eating a barbecue, and enjoying a cocktail while there are tens of thousands of dead people being piled up on the streets, with the survivors stunned and looking for food and water,” one passenger wrote on the cruise’s internet forum.

Days later, the Road International sound system announced it would collect donations at a Vybez Fridays event, and match the donations, and even asked that patrons consider buying one less drink or none at all if that is what it would take to make a donation to the relief effort for Haiti.

Then came an email titled: Rock the Runway Lingerie Edition Hosted by Daville, but before saying anything about the event, the email read: “HAITI IN OUR PRAYERS–– On behalf of the entire staff of Jamrock Magazine and Linkup Media Inc., we would like to extend our deepest sympathies to all of our Haitian Brothers and Sisters worldwide that have been affected by the devastating earthquake.” It went on to explain that Jamrock and Linkup had been working hand-in-hand with sponsors to secure donations and asked that patrons do their part. “Please donate what you can, whether it be money, food, clothes or even your time, to assist in the relief efforts in whatever way possible. Our thoughts, hearts and prayers are with Haiti,” the email read.

While it is laudable for Jamrock Magazine and Linkup Media to pray for Haiti and work to get others to contribute to the relief effort, conspicuously absent from the statement was any indication that they themselves have contributed anything or will contribute any of the proceeds from Rock the Runway to the Haiti relief effort. Once again, we see that ever common gap between what we say and what we do, and perhaps even what we don’t say about what we do. It has become the norm with too many leaders and public personas and they don’t seem to even care anymore.

In the absence of any indication of a contribution on their part, I can’t help but wonder if this gesture by Jamrock Magazine and Linkup Media is a genuine effort to help, or just a sinister ploy to exploit the suffering Haitians to market an event, while contributing nothing to assist, but before I rush to judgment, I will wait to learn more. Maybe this was neither an oversight nor a malicious deed but rather a case of humility. I look forward to finding out, at which time I will let you know just what Jamrock Magazine and Linkup Media have contributed to put their money where their e-mail is.

FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

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Travolta Says Faith Helped Him Through Son’s Death NEW YORK, NY – John Travolta said faith has helped him survive the tragic death of his 16-yearold son, Jett.

The actor, a noted Scientologist, walked the red carpet in New York with wife Kelly Preston to promote his new film, “From Paris With Love.” The movie was filmed in late 2008, and shooting wrapped just days before Jett Travolta died on Jan. 2, 2009.

“We work hard every day with our church on healing,” Travolta said, though he did not mention Scientology by name. “And Kelly and I and Ella have all been working very hard and they’ve been helping us,” he said, referring to himself, Preston and their daughter.

Jett Travolta died last year after a seizure at the family’s vacation home in the Bahamas.

Asked what gave him the strength to return to his movie career, Travolta said, “Once you get yourself stable, then you’re able to reach out again, you know, and I think this whole year every day we’ve been working on stabilizing ourselves and it’s been successful so far.”

Travolta flew a jetliner earlier this week carrying relief supplies, doctors and ministers from the Church of Scientology to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to help survivors of that country’s devastating earthquake. He said he is working to bring more aid to Haiti and did not rule out additional flights.

Actor John Travolta (R) and his wife Kelly Preston speak to television reporters as they arrive at the premiere of “From Paris With Love” in New York, yesterday.

Alleged Extortionist Begs for Money NASSAU, The Bahamas -Tarino Lightbourne, the ambulance driver who transported John Travolta's dying son to the hospital and has been charged with extortion, says he's broke and needs help.

Outside a Bahamas courthouse,

Tarino said he hasn't worked since the extortion case started nearly a year ago and now his house is in foreclosure and he's desperate for "some scratch" to pay for his attorney's fees.

Tarino begs the general public to donate to his cause.

FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

W E E K LY W O R D S E A R C H

COMICS

KEEP FIT

AEROBICS, ATHLETICS, BALANCE BEAM, BARBELL, BICEPS, BIKE, BODY BUILDING, DELTOID, DIET, EXERCISE, FITNESS, GYMNASIUM, HEALTH, HORSE, JOGGING, MEDICINE BALL, MUSCLES, NUTRITION, PARALLEL BARS, PECTORAL, PHYSIQUE, PUSH UPS, RINGS, ROWING MACHINE, RUNNING, SPORT, SWIMMING, TRAINER, TRAMPOLINE, TREADMILL, TRICEPS, WEIGHTS, WORKOUT.

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DPH’s Connect The Dots

See solution, Page 23

Pop’s Brain Teasers Find the Letters Some letters of the alphabet are missing from the circle.

Can you use the missing letters to find something to play?

Answer: Page 27

Connect the dots and color the picture.

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DINING Protect Your Family’s Health This Year (ARA) - Every January people make New Year’s resolutions that focus on exercise, diet or other ways to stay healthy. But the best resolution to keep the entire family healthy is by focusing on food safety in the kitchen.

The first step is to get started right away with a clean kitchen. Food-related illnesses can affect anyone - about 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths are caused by food-borne diseases in the United States every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Without properly preparing and storing food, microorganisms can have an opportunity to grow and multiply in your kitchen.

“Cleaning out the refrigerator and freezer on a frequent basis is crucial for maintaining the safety and quality of your foods,” says Dr. Marisa Bunning, Food Science Assistant Professor at Colorado State University. “You’re using these appliances to store and protect your food, and it’s the small things, like temperature control or even the date, that can make the difference between good food and food that makes your family sick.”

Here are a couple of tips from the Institute of Food Technologists and the Partnership for Food Safety Education to start your 2010 in a healthy way: * Begin food labeling immediately. Mark the date on everything you put into your freezer or refrigerator so you know how long it’s been in there. * Make sure your fridge is at 40 degrees or below. * Use freezer-safe containers or bags when storing food in the freezer.

Meat safety is also very important because meat can perish very quickly if not stored properly. Here are a few tips for meat storage: * Consume uncooked beef stored in the freezer within three to four months, or one to two days for beef stored in the fridge.

* Soups and stews are safe for two to three months in the freezer and three to four days in the fridge. * Keep cooked poultry up to four months in the freezer and three to four days in the fridge, but uncooked poultry should be eaten within nine months of freezing and one to two days of refrigeration. * Freeze fresh seafood if you don’t plan to eat it within two days.

FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

Recipes BANANA NUT CAKE INGREDIENTS 8 ripe bananas 2 cups brown sugar 6 cups flour 1¼ cup butter 13 eggs ½ cup sour cream grated orange rind 1 tsp vanilla flavoring ½ tbsp cinnamon powder ½ tbsp ginger powder ½ tbsp baking powder ½ tbsp baking soda ¼ cup crushed nuts ¾ cup milk PREPARATION Mix banana and sugar with paddle in mixer until banana turns puree. Add eggs, sour cream, butter, vanilla and rind mix thoroughly. Sift flour and mix with spices, raising agents and nuts.

Add to mixture and mix for 5 minutes. Pour mixture into lined sheet pans and bake.

BROWN STEW CHICKEN A great brown stewed chicken recipe delicious with every bite.

INGREDIENTS 1 quartered chicken cut in serving portions 4 cups water 1 tbsp allspice ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper ½ cup vegetable oil ½ cup carrots diced ½ cup potatoes diced ¼ cup chocho diced (optional) ¼ cup diced ripe plantains ¼ cup escallions chopped ¼ cup onions chopped 1 clove garlic finely chopped ¼ cup melted butter PREPARATION 1. Place all ingredients except vegetables in a blender and puree until smooth.

2. Place in a sauce pan and bring to slight boil.

3. Add chicken and vegetables to mixture.

4. Stew until cooked and serve hot.

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SPORTS

Johnson To Headline ESPN Card Next Month MIAMI, Florida – Seminole Warriors’ executive Leon Margules has praised ESPN2 for reviving the International Boxing Federation (IBF) light heavyweight world title eliminator between Jamaican Glen Johnson and the American Yusaf Mack.

The bout was originally slated as the co-main event for the cancelled January 30 Andre Berto-Shane Mosley card in Las Vegas and is now rescheduled for Florida on February 5 and to be televised by ESPN2.

“We were fortunate that ESPN put up the funds to make the fight possible in such a short time,” Margules said this week.

“The IBF had set a January 30 deadline but accommodated us with the additional week,” added Margules, executive director of Warriors Boxing, which co-promotes Johnson.

The card will also feature undefeated Cuba-born two-time Olympic gold medallist Guillermo Rigondeaux against an opponent to be decided.

Johnson and Mack were scheduled to fight on the undercard of the Mosley-Berto welterweight title bout in Las Vegas but the card was postponed after Berto, a Haitian-American, withdrew after some of his relatives and friends died from the catastrophic earthquake that crippled Haiti on January 12.

Berto said he was focusing on his family and the Haitian people and had no choice but to withdraw from the bout.

Yannic Cariah of the West Indies with the Man of the Match Award after the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Super League quarter final between West Indies and Sri Lanka at QE II Park in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Cariah Guides West Indies To Third In U19 World Cup

Jamaica’s Glen Johnson is scheduled to fight Yusaf Mack in a light heavyweight, title-elimination-match, February 5, in Florida.

The 41-year-old Johnson has a ring record of 49 wins (33 knockouts) against 13 losses and two draws.

Mack, 29, has 28 wins (17 knockouts) against two losses and two draws.

The winner of the Johnson-Mack bout, now scheduled for the NSU Arena in Miami, will become the IBF’s mandatory challenger and should fight in May against the champion Tavoris Cloud, of the USA.

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Yannic Cariah uncorked a brilliant unbeaten hundred and led a rampant West Indies batting display to beat Sri Lanka by four wickets and clinch third place in their ICC Under-19 World Cup. After choosing to field in the third place playoff at the Queen Elizabeth II Park, the Caribbean side magnificently responded to Sri Lanka’s 291 for six off 50 overs with 294 for six off 48.3 overs.

The 17-year-old Cariah stroked 110 not out with six fours and three sixes and his inspirational century stand with fellow left-hander John Campbell (77) ignited the young West Indians’ innings.

“We wanted to win the tournament but so it goes. We still played well in the tournament and we came out third, it’s a great achievement for the West Indies,” Cariah said after the game.

The Sri Lankans had posted their imposing total after openers Denuwan Rajakaruna (94) and Udara Jayasundera (77) staged a massive 174-run first-wicket stand.

Banuka Rajapaksa (43) and Rumesh Buddika (34) got useful runs in the middle.

Pacer Nelson Bolan, claiming two for 74 off 10 overs, led the

wickets for the Windies U19s but leg-spinner Cariah, with one for 34 off nine and pacer Jason Holder, one for 48 off 10, were the most economical.

West Indies U19s seemed condemned to defeat at the start of their innings when they lost openers Kraigg Brathwaite (0) and Trevon Griffith (1) cheaply and stumbled to six for two in the third over.

Cariah then linked up with Campbell and the pair played with authority to considerably resuscitate the Windies’ innings.

Man of the match Cariah reached his hundred off 118 balls with five fours and three sixes and added 120 for third wicket with Campbell, who blasted his 77 off just 70 balls with six fours and four sixes.

“It was a brilliant innings by John,” Cariah said.

“He stayed with me and played the actual attacking role and helped me play my normal innings,” added Cariah.

Big-hitting Jermaine Blackwood lashed two fours and two sixes for 41 off 45 balls and Shane Dowrich gathered a rapid 33 off 28 balls with three fours and a six to keep West Indies U19s constantly in touch with the run-rate.

FRIDAY, JANAURY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR *

Full Of Air

(Above) Delroy Kenwood, owner of Reliable Tires, Inc., poses in front of his tire shop.

(Below) Tire technician Rupert Herron changes a tire.

(Above) Elvin “Trini” Lovell checks tire pressure and (Below) alignment technician Hollis Noel poses in the shop.

Keeping your car safely on the road is the primary objective at Reliable Tires, Inc., according to owner Delroy Kenwood. As the company celebrates it’s third anniversary, Kenwood says his success,

POP’S BRAIN TEASERS From Page 23 Answer: GUITAR

SOLUTION to Sudoku, P23

so far, is based on courteous, reliable service.

“We treat all our customers the same, whether male or female,” he said. “We respect the customer, and we’re dedicated to helping them find

the right tires at an affordable price.”

Reliable Tires, located in Brooklyn at 9718 Ditmas Ave, provides services for new and used tires, flats, wheel balancing, alignment and more.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2010 * NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

NEW YORK LIBERTY STAR

SPORTS

ROAD WARRIOR HEALINES ESPN P. 26 BOUT